Dreams
by Phoenix Charmer
Summary: A new type of Akuma is set loose by the Earl... and this particular type was made specially, for Allen. What troubles await him and his friends as they head out on a new mission? CHAPTER TEN IS UP!
1. Chapter 1

This is my first D.Gray-man fanfic... Many thanks to Timcanpi . net for information on the English translations of names and etc.

Disclaimer: all characters belong to Hoshino-sensei, my god. lol

Chapter One

Allen woke with a start and found himself entangled in a mess of his sweat and the sheets belonging to his bed. It was pitch dark in the room, and a sudden intake of breath broke the blank stare Allen was in as his small golem companion, Timcanpi lightly nudged his head. It was then when he noticed his own labored breathing. A nightmare? Something in his sleep must have disturbed him, but somehow the memory of his dreaming was replaced by blankness. What had he dreamt that had disturbed him this much?

With the intention of combing back his long, white strands of hair from his sweat-soaked face, he placed his left hand on his forehead, coincidentally where his beloved foster father, as an akuma, had cursed him with a scar in the shape of a pentacle with a long line that continued down across his left eye. Excruciating pain stabbed his senses, and he heard screaming. Screaming that came from somewhere deep inside of the human throat, screaming that was more animal than human. It took him a while to figure out that it was himself that was yelling his throat out, and that the pain was coming from the scar and his un-human looking left hand, which was now tightly gripped by the other.

Allen's vision was blurred. The lasting pain and sudden shock to his system was slowly dragging him in to the blissful, static silence of unconsciousness. His fuzzy and dull mind had one last thought of Timcanpi being gone, and with a crashing sound of the door and dark figures rushing in, he fell in to deep, deep darkness.

* * *

Glaring lights blinded his vision as he stumbled off on to the cold tile floor. Clinging on to the surgical bed of the medical treatment department, he slowly made his way across the room, his vision swaying in streams of grey and explosions of colors that shouldn't be there. By the time he reached the door which was distanced only a few feet away, his breathing was ragged and a slight whistling sound came from his lungs. As he took a step outside the room, his weakened legs gave way and he lightly braced himself for the fall... but instead, he was caught by warm, human arms.

"Allen, man, you alright? What are you doing walking around. C'mon lets get you back on to the bed..." Allen looked up to find Ravi, the red-haired Exorcist smiling down at him softly.

Allen took a few deep breaths and managed to croak a thank you, as Ravi put Allen's arm on his shoulders and half dragged him back in to the room. Once he laid Allen down, Ravi leaned his head out of the door way, took a deep breath and yelled at the top of his lungs, "He's awake!" then sat down on a stool nearby. There was a bowl with ice and water on a small table, and Ravi made his hands busy with making a cool rag for Allen to place on his head. The sound of Ravi's hands shuffling ice around in the bowl and his quiet whistling was all that filled the room. Allen finally decided to speak up, and tried a few times before he got a reasonable voice out.

"R… Ravi, why am I in the medical dept.?"

Ravi's hands stopped and he turned around. His usual smile was there, pasted on to his face.

"I think Komui would be better at explaining 'bout that. Here they come..."

At first, Allen couldn't tell what was happening. The floor trembled, and an infinite number of footsteps thundered throughout the castle. Allen clung to the bed for dear life, as Ravi just smiled with a hand on the wet cloth on Allen's forehead. The thundering came closer, and suddenly an explosion of people were at the door. Yelling, pushing, and cursing bodies pushed against each other as they crowded to get in to the room. Finally, it seemed to give way and along with a few bits of wood from the door frame, the men fell in to the room on to the floor in a heap. Calmly, a young girl with her hair tied in to neat pigtails walked gracefully over the squirming bodies. Her long bangs hid her face, and as she bent down and hugged Allen tightly, he noticed a slight trembling and something warm and wet on his shoulder, where she had buried her face.

"I'm so glad you're awake," she sobbed.

Her words puzzled Allen even more, and he turned his head slightly towards Ravi, pleading for help with his eyes. Ravi suddenly seemed very interested in tieing the shoelaces on his boots that he didn't have.

From the pile of men still struggling to sort themselves out, the familiar voice of Komui came.

"He's alright Linaly, let him go before he explodes with questions."

After the confusion settled and a few busy people went back to their jobs after seeing Allen was awake with their own eyes, there were four people left in the room. After soothing Linaly, her older brother and head officer of the Dark Religious Organization, Komui Lee turned to Allen.

"How are you feeling?" he smiled softly, with an unreadable emotion in his expression.

"Why am I in the medical department?"

"I asked you first Allen, how are you feeling?"

Slightly pouting at the reply he got, Allen mumbled an "I'm fine" and repeated his question.

"What am I doing in the medical department?"

"Timcanpi broke in to Ravi's room in the middle of the night and woke him, you see."

"He bit me damn hard, too,"Ravi said as he pointed at his ear which now had a perfect imprint of Timcanpi's teeth.

"And he heard you screaming, so he brought us with him to see what it was, and there you were on the floor, unconscious and bleeding."

"Bleeding?"

"From your left eye and the cross embedded in your hand."

"...What?"

"You must be very confused, I know, but right now its best that you get some rest and-"

"Tell me, Komui-san. If it was my cursed eye and Innocence that was bleeding, it has to be something to do with Akuma."

Allen was sitting up now, his eyes radiating his serious tone. Komui sighed, took a sip of his cold coffee and drew up a stool. He began to explain with a sad expression.

"You see Allen, your eye is something very valuable to us. As far as I know, its the only existing thing that can identify Akuma in its human form."

Allen nodded.

"Now, you have to understand that the only defense the Akuma has against us is its offensive attacks, and its defensive disguises. Our organization has up until now been fighting against the attacks with our Exorcists' anti-Akuma weaponry, and against the disguises by bearing the Rose Cross on our uniformas a target for luring them to us. The latter, as you can see clearly is very risky, and has in some cases has put us at a disadvantage. But then you came along."

Komui smiled gently and patted Allen's head lightly.

"Your eye puts all of us at an advantage, Allen. The Earl of the Millenium is not happy with you."

A silence rang through the room, and the air was filled with the tension of the bad news to come.

"We used Timcanpi and scanned your memory. Do you remember what you dreamed last night?"

"I... no, I don't. No matter how hard I try and think about it, its just... blank."

Frustration crossed his face, and seeing thisLinaly walked over to him. Gently, she placed her arm around his shoulders and patted his back in rhythm, soothing him. Though only Ravi noticed, Komui looked ready to kill.

"Its all right. Though it took some effort, with Timcanpi's help we found the images of your dream, and after a bit of research, we found what it was that disturbed you."

Komui paused after finishing this sentence, as if loathing the news he was about to bring.

"And...?"

"Allen, the Earl has createda new type of Akuma. We're pretty sure that there is only one of that type that exists, but this new Akuma is going to be hell to get hid of."

"How many others have been attacked?"

The question from Allen brought an uneasy silence in the room.

"None, Allen. Only you. I'm afraid that this Akuma has been made specially... for you."

To Be Continued...

Thank you for reading! Comments, questions are always welcome. Please Review!


	2. Chapter 2

The second chapter! I want to say my thank-you to my reviewers Misteline: I'll do my best to keep on updating at a good pace! Jenniyah: honored to be the first D-gray fanfic for you! yea, I know bout the Earl being big and all… but the fun part bout fanfic is that you can tweak things a bit… d(>o ) and you got to give it to Allen too, important enough to get on the list of people Tiki had to kill. Hikari: you picked up the right manga to read! And it's really exciting to be the first fic someone reads… I'll do my best not to let you down! Tarragon: my dear marimo-chan! You reviewed! (after I told you to… lol) I know you're new to fanfic but you won't regret it. Make sure to take a look round, k?

In that dramatic Blockbuster voice: AND NOW, our feature presentation.

Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own D.Gray-man. If I did I'd be rich by now but unfortunately I live on an allowance of 2000 yen a month and that is definitely NOT rich.

Chapter 2

"Specially… for me?"

It all had made sense up until that last line from Komui, but now Allen was thrown in to confusion. Why would the Earl come after one, teenage Exorcist?

"As I said, you put us at a slight advantage in this war for the Innocences. In other words, you put the Earl at a disadvantage. On top of that, there are only 19 Exorcists that are in the Organization, and as you know many of them have passed away recently…" Komui paused to take a sip of coffee then said, "Taking you out might mean quite more than it used to when you first came."

It hurt to hear it put that way.

"This new type of Akuma, what is its appearance? Where is it now?"

Just then there was a knock on the door, and Riba Wenham, squad leader of the science department complete with a cool strip on his forehead entered the room with a big stack of papers that somehow stayed piled against the laws of gravity in his arms.

"Just finished with the research and report, Head Officer. Here are the papers…!"

With great effort Riba lifted the files and placed them on the table, then slumped down on to the floor. Komui offered him a stool but he waved it away with his hand while he caught his breath leaning his back against the table.

"Perfect timing, Riba. Would you care to give us a verbal version of the data? I don't think Allen is up to reading all that just yet."

"Sure sir, just let me… ah, thanks." He took the cup of water Linaly offered him and swallowed at it thirstily. Wiping the excess water off with his sleeve, he cleared his throat and faced Komui.

"We analyzed the dream's contents from the information we got from Timcanpi, and we found that the Akuma Allen made contact with was indeed a new type. You've already explained that? Right, well, the good news is that we're pretty sure that the one that's attacked you is the only one out there so far. We had a series of "nightmares" following up a trail from somewhere in Germany to over here. They were all a milder version of Allen's incident. We believe this is the Akuma in question's doing. The trail it followed coincidentally crossed the path of a group of Exorcists we had out there to retrieve General Theodore, but they've reported that there wasn't any damage or incident in particular. We did a bit of research and a bit of guessing, and came to the conclusion that this new type is very… limited in its ways."

"Limited?" This was from Ravi, with a very unusual and serious emotion on his face.

"The Akuma would of course be going after Exorcists, picking at humans along the way… but this proved different when the Akuma didn't attempt to attack General Theodore's group. We figured there was something that made the Akuma avoid attack on the Exorcists, but then why or how did it attack Allen? The conclusion we came to, is your scar."

"The scar…?"

"The cursed scar. You see… well, no offence Allen, I personally don't give a shit 'bout it but technically speaking, that scar you have is the only 'unholy' piece of flesh on you. I hear it was given to you by… uh, lets not get in to details, well, we figured that it was the perfect passageway for the Akuma to get in. You see, we believe that this new type of Akuma is very weak to the powers of the Innocence. It needed something that wasn't all sugar, spice and everything nice to let it get in to an Exorcist's holy flesh. That would explain why it didn't bother General Theodore, and how it got to your system."

"I… see, but why would the Earl want to create something so… handicapped?"

"Because, well what we think it is, because he only needed the Akuma to get you. You and you only."

"…And this is the good news?" Ravi seemed disgusted.

"The bad news is... its form of attack is via REM. Hard to destroy something when you're in lala-land. We don't know the after effects of the attack yet… you'll have to watch out for that, and… there's one more thing about the Akuma that's going to give us bull shit."

"…What?"

Riba stopped and chanced a glance at Komui. With an unreadable expression, Komui nodded. In understanding, Riba finished off his explanation.

"The Akuma is a very tiny model. Microscopic, and without the right equipment it probably would have gone unnoticed…  
You see, the Akuma accessed in to your dream via your nervous system."

The room fell dead with the ringing silence that followed Riba's last words. Allen had understood what it meant the first time, but couldn't- no, didn't want to believe it.

"What do you mean…?"

Riba mumbled a couple of curses and a 'fine, make me say it straight and direct' then stood up.

"The Akuma is inside your body."

To Be Continued...

Thank you for bearing with me through this short and boring explanation chapter!(gomenasai!) I'd like to do a bit of action next chapter... I hope.

Any comments, questions, maybe requests(lol) are always welcome! Please review, and thank you very much!

Quote of the Day: MACHO IS EWWWW! (Komui Head Officer)


	3. Chapter 3

Third chapter! Though each chapter I'm writing is short, I'm really enjoying typing out this story. Hope it's just as good for you guys. Thank you so much for the reviews! It really helps me and my lazy ass going… lol Hikari: Whoa! gets hugged I'm usually the one who does this, nice to be on the getting hugged side for once. Really nice to hear you so happy about the new chapter, believe me, it's a big motivator for me. (and I need it too, lol) while I'm writing this I'm still trying to decide what effects the Akuma should have on him. :P I'll think of something… yup. Tarragon: always full of surprises. I love cliff hangers when I'm writing them, they're fun when I think of you people imagining what's going to happen next. :P Enray: The plot is still under construction in my mind now, and I'm trying to see where I can twist it… really encouraging to hear your comment, I'll try my best not to disappoint ya!

I can't believe I forgot to mention it, but it was Ravi's birthday on the 10th! Happy birthday Ravi! Woot! in the story i kept him as 18. I'll try and do a b-day chapter sometime

Disclaimer: I don't own D.gray-man. Wish I did… oh god what is going to happen to Allen in the series? The TORMENT! AAAHHHHH! a frying pan comes out of nowhere and COINCIDENTALLY hits Phoenix Charmer (from now on I'll just say PC)

Enjoy!

Chapter 3

Allen thought he felt the world sway.

As the abrupt words from Riba penetrated the skull of everyone in the room, they all tensed, lost for words. Linaly tightened her grip on Allen as she felt him slightly sway. She bit her lips and fought the burning sensation behind her eyes. This wasn't the time to go all emotional. She knew she needed to be there for Allen right now. Just like he'd always been.

Komui felt a tinge of guilt as he saw how the news affected the Exorcists. Allen was pale; a sickly color of yellow around the edges of that face which usually gave a smile that reminded all of them of their pure-hearted childhood. Ravi's face was bare of its usual jovial expression. A grave, tired-looking boy of 18 stared down at his hand, still in the bowl filled with ice. Perhaps the numbing pain of the ice-water was keeping his nerves at bay. However, what bloomed on Linaly's face was not despair, confusion, or misery, it was determination. A strong will to protect, that research has proven only women to have as a side effect of maternal instinct. Komui's spirits slightly lifted, and couldn't help but feel the warm sensation of pride grow inside him. He turned to Riba, who he had given the task of being the bearer of bad news. He saw him scratch his head with both hands, and noticed a tinge of red on the hairs; the hands that had scratched them had semi-circles that were slowly filling with blood again. He had probably punctured his own skin when gripping them into fists too hard. The news was hard on everyone.

"I'm sorry to say that even through all this… we have a mission for you three."

The attention snapped back to Riba, then to Komui.

"Not far from here, there have been concentrated Akuma attacks on a small town, and we think there might be something to it."

"But nii-san, Allen is…"

"What is our objective for the mission?"

Allen spoke with a strong, firm voice with a matching expression despite the ill color of his face. He understood; this mission meant that they trusted him. They trusted that he'd survive.

"Eliminate all Akuma in the area; report if there are any findings and we will give out further instructions."

"Right. When do we get goin' then?"

Ravi caught on to the enthusiasm, and a shadow of his usual smile appeared as he stirred the ice around in the bowl.

"Tomorrow evening. We'll give you more information on the mission then, so for now, go back to your rooms and get a good night's rest."

Komui got up and left the room, and the others slowly followed. As Allen stepped out of the door way, Riba pulled him aside.

"Don't know what to say to you Allen, really sorry bout the mission. We're trying our best but we just don't have enough men… take this."

Riba clumsily stuffed a box in to Allen's hands.

"Cool strips; my life savers." He winked. "I don't think you're going to be feeling your best the next few days… not much, but they work faster than any shitty medication I can give you."

"…Thank you Riba-san, I really appreciate it." This was the warmth that he had when he was with Mana… the warmth only love from a family could bring.

"No problem, and one more thing," he continued in a more serious tone, "I want you to keep us updated on how you're doing. Unfortunately we haven't been able to figure out what this Akuma's abilities are, and we need to as soon as possible. Got to get rid of the bastard. I've got a bad feeling bout it… after all, the Earl risked those limitations for something. There's probably more to it than just a few nightmares."

Allen nodded, his eyes full of the warmth he had received. He wasn't afraid anymore. He trusted them, just like they trusted him.

"I will. Thank you so much for your troubles Riba-san."

"Anytime. Oh, and speaking of thank you, you'd better thank this guy too."

Timcanpi whizzed out of Riba's sleeve and landed gleefully on Allen's head.

"...Thanks buddy."

To Be Continued...

Third chapter finished! I'm sorry my chapters are short, but I think this length keeps me going at a good pace...

Questions, comments, suggestions always welcome! Please review!

Quote of the day: "Hey, hold on. You called me back to help with **_homework_**?" (Tiki)


	4. Chapter 4

The fourth! I'm sorry this chapter took a bit long… okay, a bit is an understatement. Just had school stuff running me over like a bulldozer… Winter break, yay. Thank you for your patience, and a special thank you to　my reviewers, for giving me valuable feedback for every chapter I write. Hikari: less pressure, more happy. ()　so sorry bout the big time delay for the new chappie! starts typing furiously thank you so much for reviewing! hugs Tarragon: Hima-jin? Ok then you're Hima-jin Red and I'm Hima-jin Blue. Lol jitsuwo iuto, saikin Riba hamarimashita. But I still love Ravi. Heheh uwaki desu. Need to keep it up… and its hard when your mama is trying to ban you from the comp. wink wink Enray: Thanks you for your comment! Hehe, can't live without the humor. :P

Disclaimer: I don't own D.g-m, or Ravi, or Allen, or Riba, or Komui, or Linaly, or any of those fabulous characters! No need to rub it in, okay? Lol

Chapter 4

Allen returned to his room and opened the door.

The bed was made and the moonlight shining in from the window lit the floor to show that it was spotless. Someone must have cleaned it for him, but he could see a dark brown stain on the corner of the rug to prove the happenings of tonight to be true.

Removing his coat, Allen walked to the chest of drawers in his room that was empty now, was before, and probably will stay that way for time to come. He never had enough time or clothes to bother. He opened one of the smaller drawers and found a comb, and a few hair ties. Putting a hair tie between his lips, he roughly brushed his silver-white locks and tied it, noticing that it needed to be cut. With a snap of the rubber done tying the hair, the room was filled with the sound of fabric slithering off fabric, and cloth slipping off skin. Allen untied his ribbon and took off his shirt that was now creased here and there and put on his night attire and slipped in to his neatly made sheets.

It didn't take Allen long to drift off in to a light slumber, but as he started to dream, he felt something creep up behind him in his vision.

Allen slammed his palms in to the mattress he lay on and sat up in his bed with one thought in his head; he mustn't sleep. Though he didn't actually see it, he felt it creeping up on him in his sleep. He threw off his sheets, slammed open the door and ran down the hall barefoot.

Before he knew what he was doing he had jumped on the platform that had taken him to where he had met Hebulaska the first time he came to the Organization. As the moving piece of floor came to a halt, a dim light lit the surroundings. There was nothing around him.

"Hebulaska…?"

His voice echoed in to the darkness and he shivered; it was so cold up here. Biting his lips to keep his teeth from chattering, Allen walked to the edge of the platform and leaned over the guardrail. He flung himself back before a white tentacle shot up to pierce the air where he was a second ago. The floating object he stood on lurched slightly as the white extension from Hebulaska's body came down and clenched the edge of the rail. A dozen more followed, and soon the platform was being pulled down while it creaked against gravity and Hebulaska's pull.

"Hebulaska! It's me! Allen!"

No reply came and the hands still pulled Allen down further in to the darkness.

"Hebulaska!"

Allen hollered, and as he did he lost balance to the slightly tilting platform. He slid, and caught himself on the banister and felt his left hand touch the warmth of Hebulaska's hand. Suddenly, the pulling stopped.

"Hebulaska…?"

The hands suddenly disappeared and with the force of the platform regaining balance, Allen fell.

As he felt the darkness rush past him, he braced himself for the end of the fall that might as well never come. However, he was yanked up by the soft touch of Hebulaska's hands.

"Allen… Walker?"

A light overhead lit to show the owner of the dozen or so hands that held Allen up.

"H-hi, how are you?"

"You scared… me, Allen Walker… I… thought you were… an intruder…"

"My apologies, I didn't mean to scare you."

He reached out to Hebulaska's face, which the lower half of was the only remaining part of his body that looked human. The reaching hand and expression made Hebulaska draw closer, allowing Allen to gently touch the skin.

"Something is… troubling… you, Allen Walker…"

Allen looked up and wore a sad looking smile as he let his hand fall. He slowly explained tonight's events.

Just as he finished his story, he felt a familiar, uncomfortable feeling creeping up his arm.

"H-Hebulaska?"

He felt the fingers crawl deeper and further under his skin. He started to pull away, then paused. This is why he came to Hebulaska in the first place. He was probably the only person in the whole Organization that could tell where the Akuma was inside him.

The fingers stopped moving, and then he felt it. The quiet beating of his heart pulsing against the gentle touch of Hebulaska.

"The Akuma… is here at the… moment… it can move using…　your nervous system… and can use it to affect… you… this will cause you a… lot of difficulties… in battle, but the answer… you seek is there… in your… past…"

The hands withdrew and placed him gently on the platform again. Allen looked down and smiled at Hebulaska. He didn't know what the last few words meant, but it sounded like a little bit of hope wouldn't hurt.

"…Thanks, Hebulaska. I'm going on a mission tomorrow, and I won't let you down."

The next day…

"Aaagh!"

A yell was followed by a splashing sound as Allen fell head first in to the underground water passage from the deck of a boat.

"Hehe, sorry Allen! It was just too tempting."

Ravi waved a hand from the deck and hopped down on to the dock to help Allen get out of the water. He reached out a hand for him, but as Allen took the offered hand, he yanked Ravi down in to the water. Another splash bounced off the walls of the underground.

Coughing and choking on a bit of water, Ravi glared at Allen.

"Unfair."

"An eye for an eye, Ravi."

"What are you two doing in there?"

The two looked up to find Komui and Riva (carrying the files) raising an eyebrow at them.

"Just thought we'd go for a swim…"

"Well I suggest you two get out before Linaly-"

"Oh my god, what are you two doing in the water! Its January for heavens sake, you're going to catch a cold!"

Speak of the devil, as Ravi warned them Linaly came down the stairs and scolded the two in the water.

After the explanations of the mission, their boat set sail and they watched as the Organization, their home grew smaller in the distance.

"So Allen, what's up?"

Leaning back on the starboard, Ravi's eyes met Allen's; they were serious.

"What do you mean?"

"You look tired Allen, you're dieing on your feet. Didn't you get any sleep?"

"…No."

"Why?"

Linaly peered at his face worriedly.

"I felt it there, waiting for me to fall in to deep sleep, where you don't even dream anymore. I felt it waiting for me to give in. So I went to see Hebulaska."

"Did he tell you anything?"

"He said… the answer I seek is there in my past… what do you think that means?"

None of them could guess at what that might mean, and they reached their destination with the mystery still unsolved.

There was a huge pair of doors towering above them that lead to the village. Ravi and Allen took one door each, and pushed. For a few moments the doors lay still, then with a loud, creaking noise it moved and started opening its way to them. Then, Linaly screamed.

"Stop! Don't open it."

The two looked up at her, puzzled, and noticed the terrified look on her face. They slowly and reluctantly turned to see what she was seeing. From the small creak between the doors they had partially opened, a blood shot eye stared out at them and a small shaking hand squeezed its way through the small space and reached out. Bruised and painted with blood, the hand made to grab at something in the air that wasn't there. A small, feeble voice broke the silence.

"Help…"

To Be Continued…

Again, sorry this chapter took so long!

Comments, questions, suggestions always welcome! Please Review!


	5. Chapter 5

Next Chapter! Yay! I am sorry this chapter took so long to update… very very long to update. I'd like to give a big thank you to the people who have bothered to read and review for someone like me who hasn't been writing. GreenFlower: thank you for your comment, and again, so sorry it took so long to update! Hikari: o.O notebook… uh oh I bet im on that blacklist now. Got to get off it, got to get off it… lol Kitsurumenokitsume: you'll see soon enough . thank you for reviewing and sorry. Chi no hana: the earl is a dirty old man but sure has some nifty hats… lol yea, for that question about Hebulaska's gender, I really don't know. Komui in book 3 says "Hebu-kun" so I said what the hell say Hebu is a guy, but that'd be a good question to ask Hoshino-sensei when he starts drawing again… Bookman: I've truly got a lot of time on my hands now, so I'll try my best spelling is another thing besides Hebulaska's gender that really bothers me when I write this. The spelling really just came out, so yeah lol XP

Disclaimer: I don't own D.G-m… or any of the characters… grr.

Again, sorry it took so long and enjoy!

Chapter 5

"Help…"

The three stood petrified for a moment, then was brought back to reality by a blood curdling laugh.

"A human! A kid, even better!"

Ravi and Allen both lunged forward to grab the pitiful hand that reached out to them for help. Getting a firm grip, Ravi yanked the rest of the girl's fragile body through and held her tight in his arms. Allen, on the other hand activated his Innocence and blocked off the few blows the Akuma had sent flying after the child.

They waited, holding their breath to see if the Akuma would pursue in hopes of a meal. After a few minutes of the numbing silence, great big sobs from the girl eased the tension in their shoulders. Linaly walked over to Ravi and patted the child on the head and whispered soothing words in to her ear. Linaly worked her magic and soon the child was asleep, from bitter tiredness. Ravi stood with the girl in his arms, then seeing the look on Linaly's face, placed her gently in to her arms. He walked over to the doors that stood open and placed his palms on them to close the small opening, and Allen felt his cursed eye twitch.

"Ravi, get down!"

Ravi threw himself on the ground as a mass of Lv. 2 and Lv. 1 Akumas stormed out, reducing what had been very sturdy looking doors in to splinters. An excited murmur ran through the Lv. 2's, and whispers of 'exorcists' and'I hear they taste real good' were heard. Hammering a few of the crap ones to the ground, Ravi made his way toward Allen and they placed themselves back to back, ready for battle. Never taking his eyes off the Akuma, Allen spoke to Linaly quietly.

"Linaly, please take the girl and take shelter in that cottage we saw on the way down."

"But-"

"Listen to Allen, Linaly. Go, we'll get this bit of shit out of the way in a jiffy."

Linaly bit down on her lip, and looked at the two boys' smiling but determined eyes.

"The girl's wounds need to be looked after."

"Go."

With a look of resignation, Linaly ran in to the forest with the girl held preciously in her arms.

"…So, Allen. How many big guys are there?"

"Three, and the rest are all Lv. 1… bout 20 of them."

"Alright, you take ten, I take ten, we take one each for the Lv. 2's… who gets the extra one?"

They both smiled at each other pleasantly, then with deadly looks on their faces yelled 'jyanken-pon'. Ravi won, yet again.

"And let the party begin."

* * *

The Lv. 1 akumas took nearly no time to destroy, but the Lv. 2's were giving them a hard time. They had finished off one already, and Allen and Ravi had taken one each, trying to distance themselves from each other so the akumas wouldn't get any funny ideas about joining forces against them. The akuma Allen was fighting could dissemble, which made destroying and keeping track of part a pain in the neck. Ravi's akuma spat saliva that was like acidic super glue; Ravi had already lost his jacket and boot to it.

It had taken a while but while slashing and dodging bits and pieces of the akuma, Allen found the head, from which the soul was protruding from in his vision. He threw himself in to a run, and lunged towards the head, when time seemed to slow around him. He could hear the beat of his heart in his ears, and then felt it flutter to a stop. A sharp pain pierced his chest, and the ground seemed to come up to meet him. A voice ran through his head and said 'no, the akuma,' and he saw it there within arms reach. He swung his innocence down on it and it shattered it a blood curdling scream which was echoed by the akuma Ravi had just crushed in a shower of nuts and bolts. Allen just laid there as the pain slowely seeped away and his heart got back its original rhythm. 'Its where Hebulaska said the akuma was,' was all he thought before he felt his innocence twitch beside him.

The arm raised itself in to the air above him, and he couldn't make sense of what was happening. He wasn't moving his arm. The arm flexed its claws, and all Allen could do was watch as his hand swung down for his heart.

"No!"

A black blur crashed in to his arm before it reached him, and he felt Ravi's hammer slam his innocence to the ground. It fought the hammer and Ravi enlarged the hammer further to stop it from jumping up and attacking Allen again.

"Disarm, damn it, disarm!"

Allen mentally shook himself. Of course, disarm. As soon as the thought ran through his head his innocence shrunk, taking the shape of his disfigured hand.

For a few seconds they stayed silent, letting the rush of adrenalin pass by. Ravi, without a word, offered Allen a hand. Allen took it, and they both brushed themselves free of dirt and rubble. When Ravi saw Allen opening his mouth to speak, he shook his head.

"Explain when we get to Linaly and the girl."

"Okay," and they walked towards the cabin.

* * *

"So the akuma is right now at your heart?"

"Well, it might have moved but when we were fighting with the Lv. 2's, but probably yes," Allen nodded. "I visited Hebulaska, and like I said, he told me the akuma was there."

"Does that mean your innocence tried to get at the akuma inside your body?" Linaly looked frightened.

"It's just a guess, but once the akuma we were fighting were gone, I think the innocence couldn't be distracted from the presence of the akuma in me, which made it want to destroy it."

"Right, so that's what caused the innocence to attack you. Then what about the little heart attack thing before that?"

It was Ravi that answered Linaly's question. "It must have been the akuma. Because it can move using the nervous system, maybe its abilities lie there," he said. He took a deep breath before he continued, "it might be worse than we thought it was. If its ability is something to do with the nervous system, dude Allen, this thing's got control over almost everything in your entire body."

The silence was thick, enough to choke in. Allen changed the subject. "How is the girl?"

"She's asleep now."

"Has she told you anything about the town?"

Linaly sighed. "Bits and pieces, yes, but she's in shock. We have to let her calm down before she tells us anything more," she said. "But from what she's told me already, I think there's an innocence in there. And by the sounds of it, something is protecting it from the akumas in there trying to get at it."

To Be Continued…

Questions, comments, suggestions always welcome! R&R!


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for not updating for a while. (major understatement there) Okay, it's been AGES since I last updated and I'm truly sorry. College applications are over, and the reviews and faves I've been getting despite my inactivity got me writing again. Thank you for all those people who have written reviews, and my sincere apologies. Here is the 6th chapter atlast.

Just a bit of explanation on the nervous system thing. The nervous system is made up of the brain, the spinal chord, the nerves, and all the receptors; so when I said the akuma can get to anywhere in the body, I was thinking of the nerves and etc. Sorry for the lack of explanation; when I think of these things, it's all so clear cause it's in here (knocks on head to make a hollow sound) and I forget to explain... - -;;

Disclaimer: I'm thinking the D.g-m characters are lucky not to be owned by me. The things I would make them do if I did... (evil chuckle) Well, I don't own D.g-m, and the only thing I probably own in this fic is the akuma currently in Allen's body. :D

**Chapter 6**

The night was quiet as Allen sat at the foot of his bed. His mind wasn't particularly occupied; this thought floated through Allen's head as he realized his wording needed to be changed. It sort of was, by the akuma waiting for him to fall asleep.

---

Their original plan was to start investigating the situation of the town first thing in the morning, but after finding the girl and contacting headquarters, they decided it was best that they waited until the Finders came to take her away.

Besides, Ravi needed a new boot and coat.

"Stupid acid-spitting mother-"

Thwack.

"Little girl. Language," Linaly reminded him with a smile promising pain, and a lot of it, if he didn't obey.

"...Yes ma'am."

Ravi had spent the rest of the evening mumbling curses inaudibly to the corrosive-saliva-wielding akuma.

---

It was then when Allen heard soft knocking on his door, and from the 'are you awake' found it was the grudge-holding exorcist himself that was paying him a visit.

"Linaly just switched with me for the watch."

"Anything?"

"Nope, all's good." he commented, and gave Allen a firm pat on the back. When Allen gave him a puzzled look he returned a grim smile.

"I really think you should go to sleep, man."

Allen fought the strong urge to yawn, and disguised it as a sigh as he replied, "I don't know enough about the akuma to trust it in my sleep."

Ravi gave him a look. "Man, of course you don't know shit about the akuma, you haven't given it the chance to do anything yet. It attacks during snooze time, yea?"

"Well, isn't that the best way to deal with it?"

"Yea, if it didn't make Mr. Exorcist here sleep-deprived. At dinner tonight, man, you could've made sleeping beauty look caffeine-pumped," said Ravi as he pulled the darkening skin under Allen's eyes and laughed. He then took on a more serious expression. "I have a bad feeling about this mission. We need you to be in good condition, alert, y'know?"

Allen looked down at his hands, not knowing what to say because what Ravi said made sense, and he knew his drowsy state didn't improve anything. He felt guilty, for he knew that he only kept awake out of cowardice; he was afraid of what might happen.

"Ravi-"

"Man, trust us."

"Huh?"

He looked up to find Ravi with an apologetic expression on his face. "I know I don't look reliable, but hey, me, Linaly, we're exorcists too."

The words struck Allen with a pang of realization. His speculations, his fears about what could happen if the akuma got control of him during his sleep had been missing one vital factor-...

"If something goes whacko, Linaly and I are here to help. You aren't alone anymore man, we've got your back."

He had backup. He had people he could trust.

"I-I forgot."

Ravi burst out with a laugh. "Gee thanks, good to know you love us so."

"No, no," Allen protested, and then laughed. How could have he been so stupid? He looked up and said, "I trust you two," and felt the weight lift off his shoulders.

Ravi nodded.

"I don't know what it'll do," Allen said, not out of hesitation but more to make sure Ravi knew what he anticipated.

"Then we'll find out."

That was his way of saying 'Go ahead, we've got your back'.

---

A blur of black crashed through the window, tumbling away from the cottage accompanied by a shower of glass shards. Allen stood, swaying unsteadily, and Linaly quickly followed him out of the same window.

"Oh god, how are we going to get him to-!"

Linaly dashed forward and kicked Allen to the ground, pinning his activated claw to the ground and wrestling the rest of his body as he clawed to get her off.

"Ravi!"

"Coming," he answered. His hammer found its way out of the cottage before he did, pinning Allen down to the ground as the shrinking hilt pulled Ravi out through the window that Linaly had just kicked Allen through. "I took the girl to my room, furthest from here. You alright," He asked as he enlarged his hammer further to make sure Allen stayed on the ground.

"Yes." She wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth and mentally scowled at the taste of it in her mouth. "It'll turn a nice blue by tomorrow though," she added; Allen's hand had given her a nice blow to the right side of her face as it struggled free of her grasp.

"We need him to disarm," Linaly said with a pleading tone in her voice. "The innocence keeps on trying to get at the akuma inside him, and the akuma is trying to use Allen's body to prevent us from stopping his innocence."

"I don't get it," Ravi said, getting a firm grip on the hilt of his hammer as he felt Allen struggling under it. "Why would the akuma make him activate? Does it want to be destroyed?"

"I think it's more that the akuma wants Allen dead. It might be destroyed but..."

"...Allen will be killed in the process. Right."

At that moment Allen's claw gave a mighty tug, breaking free of Linaly's grip. The two, taken by surprise, hastily jumped back. Before he could do anymore damage, Ravi pinned him to a tree using his hammer.

"Ahh, great," Ravi said, wiping at a stream of blood making its way down his face.

"Is it bad?"

Feeling the cut with his fingers, Ravi shook his head. "Just the scalp, bleeds like a bitch over nothing."

Linaly sighed heavily with her shoulders. "I'd rather face a few Lv.2's than deal with this. This is just mentally frustrating."

"Hah, you think this is frustrating."

Linaly raised her eyebrow at him. "What's more frustrating than seeing a friend, admittedly involuntarily, trying to kill himself?"

"Dealing with a real suicidal, of course; you get this, AND all the emotional crap."

Shaking her head, she asked, "Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Lack of sleep, man, let it go... hey, he's stopped struggling."

The two stood in silence as they directed their attention to their sleepwalking friend. Allen stood there, held up against the tree by Ravi's hammer, and did not move a finger. The two eyed each other, communicating through nods of heads and shrugs of shoulders, silently asking the other 'what's going on' and 'is it over'.

After a few minutes of silent confusion, Linaly finally nodded and Ravi began easing up his hold on Allen.

"His innocence, don't loosen up on that," Linaly warned, starting to walk towards Allen. Ravi nodded, and began moving forward as well, slowly shrinking the hilt on his hammer.

When they got close enough, Linaly leaned forward. "Allen, Allen are you alright?"

Lavi placed his hand on her shoulder, mouthing 'careful' to her. Then, he felt the air move behind him. He turned to find Allen standing behind Linaly, and felt the innocence budge under his hammer.

"What the-," he began, but before he could finish Allen's clawed hand was rushing towards Allen's direction, but with Linaly standing between them...

Linaly turned a moment too late as the claw came soaring in her direction.

"NO!"

To Be Continued...

I haven't written in a while so sorry for the crap writing. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask.

You'll make my day if you R&R. :D


	7. Chapter 7

My sincerest apologies for not updating. If you're reading this you're probably tired of the same thing over and over again, but at the same time you're probably one of the many people who have stuck with me and given me reviews or favs that encouraged me to rewrite chapter 7, the half of which was prewritten was lost when my laptop crashed the day a major 4000-word essay was due.

Without further a due, here is chapter 7.

--

Allen's claw swung forward, slashing out to carry out its purpose; destroying the akuma within Allen. This time, however, Linaly stood in harm's way.

Linaly turned a moment too late as the claw came soaring in her direction. All she had the time to do was to shut her eyes tight and brace herself for the impact.

"NO!"

Ravi's voice echoed in the silence.

The pain of Allen's razor sharp claws piercing her flesh and tearing her apart from limb to limb never came. With her eyes shut tight enough to see angry white stars explode in her vision, Linaly acknowledged this. The panic subsided and she slowly began thinking again. The first thing she felt was something big, warm and protective in front of her.

Her heart fluttered in panic. She knew this sick feeling weighing down her chest. Like some sort of twisted film, scenes from a gruesome past flashed before her. A loving mother. A kind father. Them watching protectively over the two of them as she played with her brother. Her clamoring at her brother's shirt as his arms trembled around her, both watching their father die in an attempt to fight for his beloved. The warmth of their mother's back when she stood in front of them and faced the blow of the akuma. That familiar, protective warmth.

She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a fluttering glimpse of reddish-orange hair. A sickly chill ran down her spine. Not again, she prayed, not again.

She realized she was trembling as she reached out to touch Ravi's back. Her hand stuck to his back, soaked with sweat, and the flesh under it was quivering with tension. Linaly swallowed, and finally found the voice to break the silence.

"Ravi," she blurted out.

Through clenched teeth, Ravi grunted in response. Managing to glance over his shoulder, he said, "hurry, get out from back there."

Hesitating, afraid of what she might see, she finally leaped out to the side after an added "hurry," from Ravi.

Allen's claws dug in to Ravi's abdomen, prevented from disemboweling him only by the hilt of Ravi's hammer; he had managed to guard himself with what was a difference of a split second that saved him. Relief released the anxiety welling up inside her, and Linaly found tears streaming down her cheeks. She had expected the worst.

"Allen, oi, that hurts," Ravi joked, a shadow of his usual jovial smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Contrary to his joking words, his grip on the hammer tightened. With a grunt, Ravi pushed with his hammer and managed to shove a reasonable distance between himself and Allen. Breathing heavily with his shoulders, he stumbles back, struggling to keep a steady hold on his weapon. It was when his body began to feel heavy with the thought of this being a never-ending battle that a subtle breeze played across his face. He looked up to find Linaly standing strong and tall, feet firmly planted in to the soil with determination. Her arms were spread wide, showing that what she promised was not aggression, but trust and love.

It was a noble, yet suicidal gesture.

Allen, controlled by the akuma, lunged forward with his claw in close pursuit.

Linaly closed her eyes, not in fear, but grief.

"Allen, I'm your friend, aren't I?"

Something flickered behind Allen's eyes. Ravi didn't miss it.

Throwing himself forward to meet Allen in midair, he discarded the hammer in his hand and grabbed fistfuls of Allen's coat. The collision sent them tumbling on the ground, and when they came to a stop, Ravi shoved Allen to the ground below him.

"Baka, wake up," Ravi muttered through clenched teeth, taking hold of the cuff of Allen's shirt. "The one thing you just can't do on the battle field, man, is make your buddies cry."

--

Something warm dropped on to Allen's cheek and slid down. Allen blinked.

"Ravi…?"

Ravi and Linaly fell silent in disbelief.

"Allen-kun?"

"Yes?"

"…God," said Ravi, and with a huge sigh he let go of Allen and rolled over to lie on the ground, spread-eagled. As for Linaly, as soon as Ravi had gotten out of the way she had thrown herself on Allen, hugging him and telling him over and over that he was baka.

To Be Continued…

Sorry for such a serious chapter but there's the end of this battle scene. Hope you enjoyed it, and if you review it will make me prance around in joy. :D


	8. Chapter 8

And before I run out of whatever is driving me to write right now, I'm going to be cranking out this new chapter. Especially because the last one was so short. Blueballad – thank you so much for your support and quick reviews : ) they make my day and keep me going. This chapter is all in thanks of you.

Enjoy.

Chapter 8

--

Because he had technically been asleep while the akuma utilized his body to wreak havoc, Allen felt moderately rested for the first time in days.

The periodically repeating sound that resembled what a dying dinosaur must have sounded like coming from the next room, however, clearly showed that Ravi had a lot of shut-eye to catch up on. Allen scratched his head in bewilderment.

"Are you sure that's snoring?" Linaly could only giggle in response. "It could beat that sonic-wave using akuma we fought back when we met Miranda at its game," he added, making Linaly laugh out loud, only to join her moments later. The laugh lasted a good while, and it ended abruptly when Linaly's laugh melted in to a yawn.

Allen shook his head. "I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate. You need to rest, you're beat up from all that fighting," he said apologetically.

Rubbing her eyes, she gave Allen a tired but content smile, and said, "It's alright Allen-kun." She tucked her knees in close to her and hugged them, resting her chin on top. "You know, a lot of people take things for granted, and sleep is one of them," she said, staring straight ahead at the wall in front of her, as if remembering something. Allen nodded, encouraging her to go on. "When I was little, there was a period when my brother's chief concern at night was the fact that I wouldn't go to sleep. He tried everything in the book. Chamomile tea, warm sweetened milk, classical music, counting sheep, you name it." A loving smile played on her lips in memory of the moments that played back in her mind. "He realized one day though, that it wasn't that complicated. All he needed to do was find out what I was worried about, and talk it out." She laughed, explaining that it had taken a while for the genius(?) science department head to figure it out. "Like one time, it was something as silly as what to make the teddy bear I always slept with wear. You see, I didn't know what to do because I couldn't figure out if the teddy was a boy or girl. I didn't want to make the teddy wear a night gown and embarrass it if it was a boy." Allen couldn't resist, and sneaked a look at Linaly's face. He fought back the laugh creeping up his throat. Her expression was so serious and determined to explain how important the issue of the teddy bear's night wear was. What he was seeing, he understood, was a fragment of Linaly's childhood.

Linaly turned to find Allen on the verge of tears from holding back the laughter. Linaly pouted, saying, "Allen-kun, you're laughing at me," but soon burst out in laughter herself when she reflected on the story in hindsight. After the moment settled, she turned to Allen with kind eyes and said, "so what I needed to sort out before I went to sleep today, was you. I needed to know you were okay, and not plaguing yourself with guilt."

Allen tried hard not to look away; she had hit home with the last comment.

"Because, Allen, that would be ridiculous. Ravi and I both are happy and honored that you trusted us enough to guard your back against something you feared so much."

Allen looked at her. He slowly nodded. Then, he smiled.

Returning the smile, Linaly got up and patted him lightly on the back, said goodnight, and walked out of the room.

Allen dragged a chair over to the wall and plopped himself down on it. He leaned back, letting the back of his head bump lightly against the wall. He smiled, and knocked lightly on the wall he leaned on, which on the other side was where Ravi was. The snoring had stopped a good while ago.

"Eavesdropping," he muttered, just enough for his voice to carry past the thin walls. An uncomfortable rustle of sheets came back in return. "Do you feel the same, Ravi? Happy and honored?"

A mutter of "duh, baaaka" was enough to make Allen want to squirm from the warm feeling that spread throughout every inch of his body. Friends? No, this is what it must feel like to have…

Family.

--

Allen sat in the darkness, on watch duty for what was left of the night. It was awfully hard to see, but even a dim light would be like a beacon, screaming out to the akuma that they were here. So he sat, and after a while he began to let go of his dependence on vision, and closed his eyes.

It was like a new world had opened up to him. The woods surrounding the cabin filled his lungs with the fresh scent of green leaves on the maple trees, along with an undertone of the damp and soft smell of soil. He felt the wind tug tenderly on his untied strands of hair. He heard the whisper of the leaves and grass brushing against each other every time a breeze passed. And with it, the subtle sound of small feet approaching.

To this, he jumped, and turning around he saw that it was merely the girl that they had rescued. Startled herself by Allen's surprised reaction, she withdrew back in on herself and began to retreat back in to the house. Allen noticed this, and quickly put on the most welcoming smile he could muster, and held out his hand in invitation. Though hesitant, the girl carefully stepped forward and held his hand. Fragile, vulnerable but precious, were the words that came to mind through the tender grip she had.

"You're up already? It's still very early," he said, trying to remember how Linaly dealt with the child and finally settling for patting her on the head.

"You need to help him," the girl said abruptly.

Allen realized the girl was talking about the city within those walls, and fought to keep his calm and casual composure despite the excitement he felt for the possibility of informational leads on the mission. He cocked his head to the side and asked, "him? Who do we need to help?" He softly cupped her delicate hands in his for reassurance.

"I don't know," she said, and when she looked up and met eyes with him, suddenly as if some restraint had been torn away, she began to talk. "I don't know who he is, but, but you need to help him! He's been there for a long long time, and has something he wants to keep, keep away from the scary things."

With nothing specific described Allen could only catch the drift of what the girl was trying to explain, but he had a feeling. "'He' is a good guy, isn't he?"

"He's scary," she admitted, but quickly added, "because he wears all black stuff, but I know he's a good guy!"

He needed to know more. Allen purposely made a quizzical and doubtful look, and the girl jumped up, desperate to make him believe. "He helped me get out through the doors, and, and…" She seemed to be looking Allen up and down, and with a sudden look of realization, she pointed at his chest. "He had this thing on him too!"

She was pointing at the Rose Cross.

Allen nodded absentmindedly and patted her on the head, telling her something along the lines of "yes we'll help him" while his head was racing to make connections and speculations. In the end however, all that was left was his gut feeling that was barely supported by the information they had so far; there was an innocence in that city, and maybe even… an exorcist.

To Be Continued…

Sorry for another short chapter, but hey, its longer than the last one! nervous laughter

Just felt like I should post before I decide to let it rot in my hard drive.

Reviews will make me sing with joy :D


	9. Chapter 9

Again, writing before I lose whatever is making my hand move across the keyboard.

Chapter 9

--

When the sun rose, it brought a small bit of hope.

Long shadows stretching along the ground reached Allen's feet, and when he looked up, he couldn't help but grin. He stood up to greet a small group of finders, and they returned the gesture with curt bows; one of them even gave him a smile bright enough to rival his. Allen liked him already.

Allen opened the door and welcomed them inside, and they exchanged brief introductions. One of them, briskly stepping forward lifted a bag with the Black Order Organization's symbol on to the table, and swiftly removed the locks. As the contents were courteously laid out on the table, the finder that had introduced himself as William had backed away from the rest to squat down in front of the girl that was now sitting in a chair in a corner of the room. The same smile that greeted Allen out front now shone brighter for the child, and something warm in his expression thawed out the tension and fear she had. Allen, whose attention had been taken up watching the two was abruptly brought back to the serious and business-like finders in front of him, with an assort of things laid out on the table: a new boot and coat for Ravi, assorted medical supplies, and then something he had never quite seen before. He was puzzled, and apparently, the finders were no more enlightened than he was about the mysterious object. When he gave them a questioning glance, they simply shrugged and brought forward a transmission golem. It buzzed like a radio trying to find the right frequency, and finally after a few buzzes it settled on a familiar voice repeating "hello, hello" between a few frustrated grunts.

"Komui-san?" Allen couldn't help but sound eager.

"Ah, Allen-kun. Good, good," he muttered, which was followed by a shout directed elsewhere on Komui's side, reporting that the wireless golem transmission was fine.

"Thank you for the supplies Komui-san," he said, but he couldn't keep the concern out of his voice for long. "But what in the world is-"

"Yes, yes, I wanted to explain this one to you myself," he said, then cleared his throat and proudly pronounced, "the Komui-sleeper 3000!" Komui's grand presentation of the name of his newest invention somehow only invoked worry and concern from Allen and the finders there with him in the room. Allen even spared a quick glance around the cottage to see how much damage the place could take before it would actually collapse and they would have to look for new shelter.

"Uh, what does this, this, Komui-sleeper thing do," he asked, trying very hard not to let the fear show in his voice.

"You see, it's very, very effective," he began.

This can't be good.

"It may be one of the most successful things I've invented so far," he continued.

Definitely not good.

"Riba-kun wasn't really keen on the idea though," he added.

Bad. Very bad. Allen glanced at the finders and the girl. It would take him at least two seconds with his hand to pull them out to safety, whatever the device held in place for them.

"And the testers had a few flaws, but I'm pretty sure they've been worked out…"

He could then alert Ravi and Linaly… Or would simply destroying the device be a faster way to reduce damage?

"What it pretty much is, is an e-"

"-lectromagnetic substance disintegrator?!" Allen finished, and reached for the device that lay on the table as the finders took very large steps backwards and away from it.

"Oh, psh, no Allen-kun," he reassured, "though that may make an interesting project to embark on…" From behind Komui's voice came a yell of "oh no you don't" from Riba. Komui cleared his throat again. "I was joking. Sort of. It's and eye-pillow Allen-kun."

"An… eye-pillow?" The finders let out a collective sigh of relief while Allen, now with less caution, picked up the object from the table. Now that he mentioned it, the object did resemble the shape eye-pillows had and it had an elastic band attached to secure it on his head. Examining it from every angle, he poked and prodded the so-called eye-pillow. "It's a little heavy though, isn't it?"

Komui chuckled. "What's inside is what makes the Komui-sleeper 3000 a magnificent piece of work," he said, and Allen immediately let the thing hang from his fingers by the elastic, at arms length. He wouldn't put it past Komui to have put something explosive inside. The finders held their breath.

"I-inside…?" Allen timidly asked, still holding the eye-pillow at arm's length and being careful not to make any sudden movements.

"Don't be so alarmed, Allen-kun, have I ever done anything to bring harm upon you?"

What sounded like the whole of the science department retorted with a resounding "yes".

"I've inserted a device that, through motion sensors, detects rapid eye movement and shines a blinking red light when you go in to REM sleep," he said, flat out ignoring the comments being made to him about the Komurin incident from behind. "The light is bright enough to make you conscious, but not bright enough to wake you up completely. So what I'm hypothesizing is one of two effects: one, is that you will fall back in to one of the more shallower levels of sleep, which would rid the akuma of the chance to take control of your body," he said, adding that this may lead to him not feeling completely rested because of not getting REM. "The other possible outcome is, is that you'll continue to dream in REM sleep, but be lucid in the dream."

"…What do you mean by that?"

Komui took a few moments, collecting his thoughts for a concise explanation. "Most people don't realize they are dreaming when they are. Some to the extent that they believe they don't even dream at all, but that's not possible. Everyone dreams." Allen nodded, and realizing Komui couldn't see this, responded with an "mmhm" of understanding. "But it's possible to know you're in a dream while it is happening; it's rare as a naturally occurring phenomenon, and it's called lucid dreaming. What I'm thinking is if the red light emitted from the Komui-sleeper 3000 doesn't pull you back in to a shallower stage of sleep, it will at the least make you lucid in the dream.

"I see, but how-"

"-will it help you? Well, you see, the thing is you mustn't forget- a dream is something you create. It's completely, 100 a product of your brain. That's why there have been reports of people being able to 'control' their dreams or intentionally make things do things that would normally be impossible in their dreams, like making yourself fly." He then let out a sigh. "It isn't the ideal option, but if we can make you lucid in your dream, I imagine it would be possible for you to seek out the akuma in whatever form it takes and battle it somehow."

The "I imagine", "would be possible" and "somehow" made Komui sound unsure about the last part. Like he said, it obviously wasn't the best option, but it was what Allen had for himself right now, and it was a lot better than going through another round of what happened last night. Allen wasn't one to care if the quality was iffy. He knew the eye-pillow he held in his hands was the product of a lot of work and effort on Komui's part, and it was him more than anyone that hated the uncertainty of the outcome of this plan.

"Thank you, Komui-san." He could almost see the sad and grim smile on Komui's face. He could almost hear him cursing himself for only being able to do so much for the exorcists.

"Get some rest, Allen-kun."

The golem buzzed, and the room fell silent. Allen gripped the Komui-sleeper 3000 firmly with his hand, and smiled. It was a little piece of home, warm and welcoming home, that lay in his hands.

To Be Continued…

Thank you for reading and sorry for another action-less chapter. Just need to lay some things down before more things happen.

NEXT CHAPTER I plan to get the exorcists started on the mission and exploring the city, which should make things a lot more interesting.

Just a note: the references about "lucid dreaming" are actually true. The Komui-sleeper 3000 is also a rip-off of an actual product I've heard about that's supposed to induce them. XD As a disclaimer, IT IS NOT MY IDEA. Anyway, if it sounds interesting, try searching "lucid dreaming" in wikipedia and you should get some information there.

Thanks again for reading. Reviews should make me play my brother's Mario game less and write faster :)


	10. Chapter 10

Hallo peoples. Thank you yet again for keeping with me and those who have taken interest in the story. Because I'm trying to crank out as much as I can while my fluctuating attention span lasts my addresses to the many faves and reviews will not be nearly as long as they should be considering how much they mean to me, but please know I greatly appreciate them. I've also included thank-yous from reviews for ch 8 as well as im my furious row of typing I realized too late that I forgot to put them in. So sorry!!!

SharinganJ- thank you for the generous compliments :D and to be quite honest, I COMPLETELY agree with you on the good guy getting tortured thing. I don't know why, but I love it as well. Shows in my writing, I'm sure. ;) and I'm off my brother's game, no worries. He sort of stopped being generous.

Blueballad- -smothers self in pancakes- thank you for ye another all-too-kind review :) you really help me fulfill my daily needed dose of happiness. I'm trying to balance out the seriousness and the jokes, cause it's always good to have a bit of a rest for the brain, right?? XD

I'm Hallucinating- thank you very much for the review and the compliments X) and hello fellow lucid dreamer! And I guess that's the good thing bout knowing you're dreaming; you can stop it when it gets bad. It is rare though, isn't it. Some people even give me looks when I try explaining XD

Addenza – ahaha yes indeed I did, though most of it I admit was done for completely different purposes than the plot of this story… I tend to have enough trivial knowledge rotting here in this excuse for a brain to fill buckets. In short, I'm a geek. XD

Kit turned Mighty- many apologies for an update getting to be so late. This was a hard chapter to write as its sort of an inbetween… Thank you for such a wonderful review. I hope this chapter keeps up to the expectations. : )

Me- I'm glad you liked it. Sorry for the delay, and hope you enjoy this chapter too.

Anyway, I don't know how many times I'm going to have to pick this project back up from its ashes again… but for those of you who keep with me and my sad excuse for a D-g.m fic, many thanks.

Enjoy.

Chapter 10

When the other two awoke, they also received a briefing on the supplies, and Ravi rejoiced in being fully clothed as well as getting his wounds bandaged up. Allen gazed apologetically at the bandages but Ravi gave his head a good nudging, telling him that the only thing he should be sorry for is the fact that he hadn't trusted them earlier. When he still seemed unconvinced, Ravi responded with a huff, and told him quite simply that it was "a problem of finding a way to destroy the akuma as soon as possible, and that's that".

Linaly on the other hand was delighted to find that the girl seemed to be getting along well with the finder William. Reluctant to leave Linaly's embrace, she clung to her skirt with a determined grip but with soft urging from both her and William, she wiped away streaming tears with her sleeve and took William's hand. Linaly had leaned down to pat her on the head and wish her a safe journey when the girl stretched up onto her tip-toes and whispered in her ear.

"_He_ did that to me too, and then he made a sad face and told me he would only be around while the moon lasts."

Linaly furrowed her eyebrows in puzzlement. "_He_?"

Instead of answering her question, the girl simply pointed with a delicate finger at the closed city, and looked Linaly in the eye with a sincere look. "Help him."

---

After seeing the group of finders off with the girl, the three got down to discuss how to go about the mission.

"Especially with the number of akuma gathered in there, the possibility of something being there is very high," Allen stated, and Ravi nodded in agreement.

"And the girl's been saying stuff, talk about a 'he' protecting something or the other." The point was followed by silence, as all three of them were truly puzzled by this aspect of the story.

Linaly broke the silence with a light huff and a smile on her face. "The only way to find out is to go check it out ourselves."

They nodded in agreement, and started drawing out plans.

What they decided to do was to examine the situation from the outside first before heading in to the city, as the small welcoming party from the other day was no easy job, and they were in no condition to take on an unknown number of akuma, or worse, an ambush. They took turns in pairs, as they decided it was safer to have two of them in case something happened, and looked in on the city from above. Allen, with the help of his eye, gave an approximate head count of the number of akuma and at which level they were at; there were at least 35 Lv.1 akumas, and 4 Lv.2s. It was a large number, but not impossible. The other objective of their exploration of the city was to find some kind of clue as to who or what the 'he' in need of help was.

"There is a chance that 'he' is another remaining survivor," Allen suggested, but then bit his lip in guilt as he realized how weak of an argument this was when said out loud. "…Never mind."

Linaly looked up hurriedly and tried to keep him from losing hope. "No, Allen-kun, we know what you mean. I thought that too," she said.

"Yeah, but," Ravi sighed, and scratched his head in discomfort. "We've been looking at the city for about 4 days now, but with that many akuma… It's just, you know," he mumbled.

"Highly unlikely, I know," Allen said, completing the dreaded statement. A somber silence settled upon them. They let it hang, as if paying their respects to the loss of something, perhaps the many lives that once thrived in the city, or perhaps their hope for there to still be something to save in the now akuma-infested city.

Settling the plans for tomorrow, which consisted of covering the only remaining corner of the city not searched yet, Linaly and Allen went off to their rooms to sleep. Ravi took the first turn to keep watch.

---

Taking his coat off to throw it upon the back of the chair and fumbling with the ribbon around his neck, Allen realized there was no use taking off anything else except maybe his boots. He sat down on the couch that was soon to become his bed, and noticed just before he was about to slip his shoes off that he had almost forgotten the little present from Komui-san. He walked back out into the dining area and picked up the eye pillow from the table to find Ravi coming in through the front door, hammer still small but securely held in his hand. Seeing that it was Allen, he abruptly let out the tension in his shoulders and re-holstered his weapon.

"Geez, it was just you," he said. He let a sheepish smile warm his expression, but eyed him with a sharp look before fully taking his hand off his hammer, asking "it is you, right Allen?"

"Yes it is, don't worry- I may be sleep deprived, but even then I take longer than that to fall asleep." He shrugged the moment off and Ravi let the last of his caution slide away. Allen tried to ignore the sharp stabbing emotion of guilt he felt for having to make his comrade so nervous about him; he knew that his alarm against him and the ease at which it was discarded with but a mere few words from his mouth was Ravi's way of showing the mutual trust between them. Ravi trusted him that he was a comrade to the core and would only attack under the influence of the akuma, and Allen trusted him that Ravi would stop him no matter what if the akuma was controlling him. Something must have shown in his expression though, because Ravi let out a short laugh that sounded slightly defeated.

"Really man, if you don't stop feeling so bad over this whole business I'm going to start sledge-hammering you for reasons completely unrelated to the damn akuma. I have the strangest feeling that it's going to take that much to get it through your thick skull that it's nothing for you to worry your pretty little head over," he said in jest, and Allen had to laugh at that.

"Thick skull? Pretty little head? You have to remember to direct the comments at the right person when you describe yourself, Ravi," he said, as Ravi flashed a grin at his come back. "One would almost think you were talking about me."

"You little-," was all Ravi managed to get out before his complaints were drowned out by the sound of the two of them scurrying around the room after each other and laughing while trying to get a jab at the other. They only stopped when a disgruntled looking Linaly opened the door and threw a pillow at them and went back to trying to sleep, while the two just laughed harder.

They felt the muscles in their cheeks straining after so much laughter and slid on to the floor panting. It took a while for them to catch their breaths but when they did, Ravi spoke up first.

"It's way past your bedtime buddy," he said and gave Allen a small nudge. "Leave it to me and just go sleep."

"Hopefully this will keep me from having to leave anything up to you," Allen said, holding up the eye pillow for Ravi to see. He raised an eyebrow in response.

Poking at the object if it were a bomb ready to go off, he said, "something Komui made? We'll see if it works if it doesn't blow you up in the process." Allen managed to smile at the comment, but it sounded slightly forced as they both knew Ravi was only half joking.

To Be Continued…

Just needed to get that bit out. Should be more action on it's way after this as the plot gets moving. Sorry for such an unexciting chapter after such a long wait. Happy Holidays!


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